July 27 Weekly Brief!

Thanks to the 1,650 of you who have signed our petition asking Mecklenburg County leaders to invest in parks and greenways! We now need you to support this campaign by:

1. Emailing your Mecklenburg County Commissioners as soon as possible with a short personal note about why parks and greenways are important to YOU! Be sure and mention your address or zip code so your district representative knows where you stand.

2. Attending the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners meeting next Wednesday, August 2nd at 5:00pm in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center (600 E Fourth St, Charlotte). Bring a sign (no large signs allowed; 11 x 17 inches is ideal) to hold up when we present the petition during the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting. A simple message like "More Parks for Mecklenburg" or "Support Greenways + Parks" would work well, but feel free to customize yours.

On Wednesday, August 9th, join us for an evening of questions and answers with Charlotte's 2017 mayoral candidates!

You'll hear about each of our candidate's opinions and plans for the future of Charlotte, prompted by questions from INSS faculty and Sustain Charlotte staff. Then, you'll have the chance to ask YOUR questions!

Don't miss this opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of important sustainability issues in Charlotte, hear where our candidates stand, and let your voice be heard!

More than 20 youth from the YouthQuake PBC summer program hit the streets with us last week to help identify challenging conditions for pedestrians and transit riders along Clanton Road near its intersection with West Boulevard. These young advocates found a wonderfully walkable bus stop, but also some problem areas they'd like to see improved to better serve their neighbors. Read more at our blog.

Together, we did it!

Thanks to the 62 donors who supported our #WalkTheWalk Summer Fund Drive and to the Blumenthal Foundation for their generous $5,000 matching gift! We not only reached our goal, but exceeded it by raising $5,215! With the match, that's $10,215!

Thanks to your tremendous support, we look forward to accomplishing even more in the remaining months of the year and beyond!

Log all your June + July Way2Go CLT clean commute trips by midnight on August 1 to be eligible to WIN!

If you logged at least 10 round-trip clean commutes between June 1 and July 31, you'll have a chance to win the grand prize home automation package, which includes a Nest thermostat, a Google Home, and an Apple Watch. You'll also have a chance to win one of five secondary prizes like a Kindle Voyage or FitBit Blaze! Log your trips now at way2goclt.com.

The Metropolitan Transportation Plan defines the policies, programs and projects to be implemented over the next 25 years in order to reduce congestion, improve safety, support land use plans, and provide mobility choices in the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) planning area.

"Yes, Charlotte/Mecklenburg County might get tapped out in the next decade — but sprawl will continue on from there. Fast forward another three decades, and urbanists are expecting one big mega-city from Atlanta all the way up the I-85 corridor to Raleigh by 2060." This is why we support parks, greenways, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, transit, and smart growth! The Charlotte region has one chance to get this right.

"Underground parking. In most cities and in most soil conditions, the giant holes are only there to satisfy off-street parking rules, and to do that, you need a deep, deep hole. Digging these holes is astronomically expensive... Such costs are one reason housing is so expensive nowadays." Charlotte should eliminate minimum parking requirements as one way to reduce housing costs!

"The Macon Connects pop-up bike lane experiment was a success. Not only did it show that people would bike if they had dedicated cycling lanes, the city is now finalizing plans to install a permanent bike lane downtown with more potentially on the horizon." Read this article and be inspired! A pop-up protected bike lane event led to BIG changes in Macon, GA and it can in Charlotte, too!

"Current estimates show that transportation is responsible for a staggering 20 to 27 percent of all GHG emissions in the United States. Obviously, businesses have a key role to play when it comes to reducing these emission levels, and one of the most direct ways to address the issue is to encourage smarter, more ecologically responsible modes of commuting." Encourage sustainable commuting at YOUR place of work by joining our free Way2Go CLT challenge! Visit myway2goclt.org to form a company team today!

* August 9: Mayoral Forum hosted by Sustain Charlotte + UNC Charlotte's Integrated Network for Social Sustainability (INSS): In lieu of our traditional Monthly Mixer in August, we will be co-hosting a mayoral forum focused on sustainability issues in Charlotte!

Join us from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m to learn where our 2017 mayoral candidates stand on important issues shaping the future of Charlotte. You'll hear about each of our candidate's opinions and plans for the city, prompted by questions from INSS faculty and Sustain Charlotte staff. Then, you'll have the chance to ask YOUR questions!

July 31: Attend the Town of Matthews Project Update Meeting on the E. John Street Widening Project. A formal presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. Matthews Town Hall, 232 Matthews Station Street, in Matthews. Sign the petition created by Matthews residents to oppose the widening of John Street through their downtown!

August 6: Join us at Front Porch Sundays! We'll be leading two Sunday South End Spin rides (12pm and 2pm). Plus, you can check out the many local vendors from 1-5pm!

August 12: It's never too early to Learn to Ride a two-wheeler, or help others learn by volunteering!

August 19: The 10th Annual Hummingbird Festival will celebrate the migration of hummingbirds through the area and nature itself. Both educational and inspiring, the festival attracts over 1,500 attendees and offers numerous activities from informative exhibits, banding demonstrations, musical entertainment, to children’s storytelling.

September 29 & 30: Sustain Charlotte has partnered with Carolina Jubilee 2017, which means you can support two great LOCAL non-profits with your ticket purchase! This festival includes great music, good food, and is centered around bringing the Carolinas together to support local farming and community businesses. Use discount code SUSTAINCLT (case sensitive) and half of the ticket proceeds will be donated to Sustain Charlotte and the other to the Carolina Farm Trust!

MANY THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

Is your company interested in joining the Sustain Charlotte Partner Network? Our generous partners play a critical role in supporting our work. Through our corporate membership program, we provide year-round brand exposure, positive publicity, and business development opportunities to those businesses and nonprofits that are helping make our community more sustainable through their products, services, or commitment to move their organization towards greater sustainability. Become a partner today!